Longer Episodes of Cafe Racer on Velocity

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This fall, Velocity’s signature franchise CAFÉ RACER returns with an all-access look into the culture and creation of café racer motorcycles. The unmistakable elements of café bikes have made this two-wheeled subculture the home for Hollywood stars, underground builders and adrenaline junkies worldwide. Hosted by motorcycle buff, Mike Seate, each one-hour episode of the new season will now follow two bikes from start to finish for viewers to witness to passion behind the craft of these incredible builds. The new season of CAFÉ RACER premieres on Velocity on Wednesday, November 6th at 9:00 PM (ET/PT).

Now its 4th season, CAFE RACER is the only show on TV that peers into the unique culture and custom fabrication of café bikes. Born in the streets of England in the 1950s by a group of rebel bikers, café racer culture still thrives worldwide as motorcycles are made over to fit the look and feel of the original bikes. These rides are often stripped of excess parts, and their engines tuned for maximum speed, in order to achieve the holy grail of café racing: hitting the 100-mph mark, or “Doing the Ton”.

In this season premiere episode of CAFÉ RACER, actress Katee Sackhoff’s commissions a built that is later “De-Classified” when Jay Leno sneaks a late night peak. Later in the episode, The Brothers Bostrom mount a Moto Guzzi fit for a king. Future episodes include appearances from, Olympic Bobsledder Kallee Humphries, Motocross champion Travis Pastrana and actor Giovani Ribisi (TED, Avatar).

FULL EPISODES DESCRIPTIONS HERE
(5x60)

Episode One, Premieres November 6 at 9:00 PM
Classified Moto out of Richmond, VA makes no apologies for the elevated perceptions that others have of their back yard business. John Ryland, a recently laid off Ad Man knows the ins and outs of marketing his start-up company and his sought after machines. Actress Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica and 24 found John’s story irresistible and commissioned Classified for a canyon carving Café Racer. Jay Leno weighs in on Katee’s off-road Honda build. Also in this episode: Bay Area builder Patrick Bell has dabbled in acting, photography, and music, but motorcycles are his true love. When Bell received a cold call from eccentric and eager finance manager Olaf Hoff to transform an ugly Moto Guzzi 850 T-3, complete with running boards for foot pegs, into a lean and light ton eating machine, he called Café Racer. Bell keeps his anxious client in the dark throughout the build and then hands the bike over to Ben and Eric Bostrom for a top-secret, fast and picturesque runway test ride that would make Maverick and the Iceman jealous.

Episode Two, Premieres November 13 at 9:00 PM
Seattle’s riding scene is strong and Twinline Motorcycles helps fuel it with classically inspired bike builds - they’re also not afraid to experiment. Their build features elements of a mid-70s Honda chassis stuffed with a 90s Kawasaki air-cooled engine, covered in hand-formed bodywork. The goal? Increase the horsepower by 50% and put a smile on the faces of the Brothers Bostrom during an aggressive racetrack test. Also in the episode: Ry Siedler is out to prove Harley-Davidson wrong. The American motorcycle manufacturer sold its interest in the Italian brand Aermacchi in 1978 to turn its attention to the home favorite V-Twin. But don’t tell a guy from Detroit using simple tools and solid engineering that he can’t turn an outdated brand into something really cool. Ypsilanti Michigan’s hard core, local watering hole and vintage hot spot, Café Racer Ypsi will decide who was right, Ry or Harley-Davidson.

Episode Three, Premieres November 20 at 9:00 PM
Former national road racing champion Roland Sands is a bike building superstar with clients like Mickey Rourke and Brad Pitt. Roland has now been commissioned to resurrect a salvage yard Harley for professional skateboarder Lyn-z Adams Hawkins Pastrana. Lyn-z is accompanied by husband and action sports legend, Travis Pastrana, who dismantles a 1200cc Sportster. The end result is a naked street tracker suitable for the dirt ovals of the Grand National Series. Also in the episode: Analog Cycles’ Tony Prust marches to the beat of a different drum. The percussion tech for alt-metal band Chevelle also leans to the alternative side of motorcycling. In season IV Prust has accepted the challenge to build a Bimota DB3 into a slick Café Racer for Chevelle Drummer Sam Loeffler. The musician had his say throughout the build, but the Bostoms will get the encore at Black Hawk Farms, a 1.95 mile private circuit racetrack outside Chicago.

Episode Four, Premieres November 27 at 9:00 PM
Trenton New Jersey’s Cycle believes bikes have a soul, and they plan to provide a final afterlife for a sedentary Indian brand. The 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet has had previous lives as a road racer and a flat tracker, they believe it deserves one more shot at immortality. Looking to “Do the Ton” on a bike more comfortable doing the speed limit, New Jersey Cycles has recruited former Isle of Man winner Chris Hook to fire the Bullet and get to the elusive 100mph mark. Also in the episode: Austrian brand KTM debuts on Café Racer with an out of the box build. Mace Livingston and wife, Ashleigh, are new to the café scene. What they lack in experience they make up for with expectations. The KTM Dual Sport, known more as a pedestrian off-roader - when complete - will light up the blogs with opinions of love and hate. 9-time National Enduro Champion Mike Lafferty and off-road legend Jack Penton will test this dangerously designed machine.

Episode Five, Premieres December 4 at 9:00 PM
Ever heard of a motorcycle called a Rokon? No worry, only Rick Doughty of L.A.’s Vintage Iron and a few on the lunatic fringe of motorcycling are familiar with the American brand that’s more popular on the snow mobile racing circuits. Rest assured old school charms have not given way to modern technology with the Rokon. It’s still a loud and fast two-stroke that features a chainsaw-like pull starter. We’ll see just how creative Vintage Iron can be with this eccentric build and leave it up to test rider Blake Kelly for a final yea or nay to the project. Also, six of the most popular retro streetbikes and café racers are set loose down the quarter mile in the hands of champion drag racers Rickey Gadson and Larry “Spiderman” McBride. The machines, representing 35 years of development and an assortment of engine configurations, include Triumph, Ducati, Yamaha and Harley-Davidson, all vying for the title of World’s Fastest Café Racer. The results will definitely surprise you.